Spinning Hollins’ class news from 1898

postcardsfromsanantonio2 Comments
A vintage U.S. postage stamp featuring a profile of Susan B. Anthony, with the text 'Suffrage for Women' and a denomination of 3 cents.

Above: “Where Singleness is Bliss ‘T is Folly to be Wives,” Hollins Institute’s The Spinster Yearbook, 1898.

Lamar’s cousin Suzie hurled me down this rabbit hole by sharing some transcriptions of letters exchanged between Lamar’s paternal grandmother, Flora; and one of Flora’s sisters, Emily; about another sister, Jennie. The family letters indicate that the youngest sister, Flora, snagged Jennie’s former Boerne, Texas, beau, Radcliffe Spencer (1881-1965), while Jennie was out of state.

Joining the family by my marriage to Lamar in 1975, I only met one of the Johns sisters – Great Aunt Jennie. And, as Jennie and I both attended Hollins in Roanoke, Virginia, a relative shepherded me over to Great Aunt Jennie. Jennie had fond but faint memories of her pre-1900 time there, as she was at least 95 at the time of our introduction. In the midst of an overwhelming family gathering, my presence proved only confusing for her.

Continue reading “Spinning Hollins’ class news from 1898” →

Postcard from Brussels, Belgium: Mystical gardens of Malines’ Beguines

postcardsfromsanantonioLeave a comment
Enclosed garden showing Daniel in the lion's den
A Belgian postage stamp featuring a depiction of the city of Mechelen, showcasing its architecture and bells.

Above: “Daniel in the Lions’ Den,” with Saint Peter on the left and Saint John on the right, 1500-1550, Hof van Busleyden Museum, Mechelen (Malines), Belgium.

There are among us women whom we have no idea what to call, ordinary women or nuns, because they live neither in the world nor out of it.”

Guibert of Tournai (1200-1284), 1274, via “Sisters Between: Gender and the Medieval Beguines,” Abby Stoner, Kenyon College

The Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music might have wondered what she was going to do about Maria, but that’s nothing compared to the befuddlement of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in the 13th century figuring out how to control the Beguine Sisters.

Limited options were permitted women in the medieval ages: subjugate themselves in marriage or enter a cloistered convent for life. Those limited choices are what attracted women to voluntarily cluster together in houses, forming their own communities on the outskirts of towns – beguinages. They donned habits similar to those of nuns and committed themselves to chastity, albeit not necessarily a lifetime commitment.

Continue reading “Postcard from Brussels, Belgium: Mystical gardens of Malines’ Beguines” →

Postcard from Madrid, Spain: Savoring international sabores

postcardsfromsanantonio4 Comments
A Spanish postage stamp featuring green olives and the text 'D.O.P. Aceite de Madrid', highlighting the gastronomy of the region.

Above: Ceviche verde nortena with avocado ice cream at Tampu Restaurante

By now, readers know we rarely stick to the traditional foods of the country we are visiting. The main reason is that we are slow travelers; we tend to hang out in a city for a while. Bearing that in mind, here is an alphabetical listing of places we tried that you might want to experience.

Al-Mounia is probably the swellest Moroccan restaurant we’ve eaten in. An impressive amuse-bouche consisted of filo cigars of feta and lamb accompanied by a rich side of fried eggplant and roasted tomatoes. Our starter was a chicken and almond pastilla accented with powdered sugar. The lamb tajine with apricots, prunes, almonds and pine nuts that we split was absolutely luscious.

Continue reading “Postcard from Madrid, Spain: Savoring international sabores” →